Important Book Sense Gift Card Announcements

With the Book Sense Gift Card Program in full swing, and the holiday season just around the corner, booksellers participating in, or planning to join, the program should note these important announcements regarding the availability of swipes, barcode readers, and receipt printers through ABA, as well as the approach of important deadlines.

Swipes
Gift Card processing via the Internet just got easier. Magtek Magstripe Mini Wedge Swipe Readers are now available from ABA for $70 (shipping included). These small magnetic card readers will only work with the Book Sense Gift Card program. The swipe requires no software. It simply plugs in between the computer and the keyboard, and includes a splitter and adapters so that no additional hardware is necessary.

Orders may be placed by sending an e-mail to [email protected]. The e-mail must include desired quantity, purchaser's name, the store name, full shipping address, and phone number. The word "Swipe" should appear in the e-mail subject line. All orders will be paid by the ACH on file during the following month's Gift Card Program billing cycle. Orders will ship starting on Tuesday, October 28.

Barcode Readers
Within the next two weeks, Book Sense will announce details about the availability of a barcode reader that will work with the Book Sense Gift Card program. The QuickScan QS2500 Bar Code Handheld Scanner requires no software; simply plugs in between the computer and the keyboard; includes splitter and adapters so no additional hardware is necessary; is designed specifically for retail operations; and reads the widest range of bar code symbologies allowing flexibility in reading now and into the future. The barcode readers will cost approximately $140 each.

Receipt Printers
Book Sense is also looking into a group buy on receipt printers. Details will be announced shortly. Plain paper (8.5" x 11") printers can be purchased through CDW Computer Centers. (For information about CDW, click here.)

Important Holiday Deadline Approaching
Booksellers who wish to start selling gift cards by Thanksgiving still have time to place orders. Complete orders (including a signed agreement, ACH information, and completed card orders -- with logos or type treatments meeting art specs) received by Givex by October 29 will ship by November 19. Givex cannot guarantee order fulfillment before Thanksgiving for orders received after October 29. (To review a PDF of art specs before submitting a logo or type treatment, click here.)

For the latest information about the Book Sense Gift Card program, go to www.BookWeb.org/read/6303.

General questions about the Book Sense Gift Card Program should be addressed to ABA Marketing Director Jill Perlstein at [email protected], (800) 637-0037, ext. 1283; or to Linda Ford, production and traffic coorindator, at [email protected], ext. 1276. Technical questions about equipment should be addressed to Jeff Wexler, ABA's technology services director, at [email protected], ext. 1274.